3. Take on board that for the duration of the course you will be expected to complete the assignments and practice sessions with a focused dedication and commitment

4. When you have found out all you can, ask yourself if this approach is the right one for you and if you will have the time and energy to do it well

The comments which follow may assist you in answering that question

Those of us who have been responsible for the development and

implementation of Custtad would like this information to be helpful to
anyone who is considering taking part in the training program

And it would be fair to say that we can be very firm
about what we expect of anyone who chooses to do so

There are many reasons for this but perhaps the only important one is
this. Based on our experience we know how easily its integrity can be jeopardized. Not because of any malicious intent, merely because the practices and

procedures which we believe 'work' are not carried out with sufficient care

And this results in children not receiving the kind of support and assistance they need if - and it is a big if -they choose to make use of the approach. For be absolutely clear about this. Custtad can be defined in all sorts of ways but an essential ingredient is that any child using the approach will be doing so because they have chosen to do so

It could be described as by invitation only

This is a fundamental feature of the approach and as some workers with children are not comfortable with that concept it is
important to consider whether this might apply to you There is a lot more about this subject on the course

We also strongly advise that anyone coming on the course is clear in their own minds whether, as their educational career unfolds, they will want to develop their skills and expertise in dealing with the family aspects of their work or if they are more interested in working with individual children. Of course one might choose to develop both but for the duration of the training - and later in relation to school duties and responsibilities - it is better to know the direction in which you want to travel.

We have sometimes illustrated the importance of this by describing the following school situation

It concerns a child who for many months, perhaps even years, has been holding on to experiences which have been causing him or her much concern And sometimes these concerns are directly related to their family situation

Loyalties to the family may feature but there might also be reasons to be frightened of the consequences if they choose to bring those concerns to a Custtad worker

And before continuing it also needs to be known that, although a child would be in a Custtad facility only if they chose to be there, the invitation would be dependent on the school having first received the agreement of their parent/

guardian

In this story then, a child has responded
positively to an invitation, has visited a Custtad facility and is contemplating letting it be known what has been troubling them. However, in the days ahead of their next visit to the facility they see

their Mum or Dad having a conversation with the Custtad worker e.g. in the playground

Now this could obviously be about the weather but there is a possibility of it being misconstrued by the child in a way which would cause
them to have second thoughts. And, as we know from experience, many children
(and grown ups) find it extremely difficult to share any significant concerns
they might have

So, if and when they are 'ready', nothing - absolutely nothing at all - should add to that difficulty

We therefore recommend that the approach works best in a school if the Custtad worker is known and experienced as the person who meets with children in the Custtad room - and not as someone who also has responsibilities for working with their family

There will be more information posted on this site in future In the meantime if you have any questions please email custtad@aol.comand we will respond as soon as possible